Method and apparatus for winding a plurality of threads



y 1960 w. LENK 2,945,636

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WINDING A PLURALITY OF THREADS Filed Aug. 1. 1956 INVENTOR: WALTER LENK ATT'Ys wig" United- States NIETHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WINDING A PLURALITY F THREADS Walter Lenk, Remscheid-Lennep, Germany, assignor to Barmer Maschinenfabrik Aktiengesellschaft, Wuppertal-Oherbarmen, Germany This invention relates to a method and apparatus for winding a plurality of threads simultaneously on a winding bobbin or spool.

In the process of plying of threads or yarns which are drawn off two or more at a time or from a number of separate delivery sources and which are to be wound together on one spool, effort is made to equalize any possible differences in thread tension and to wind the strands of thread in ribbon form on the Winding spool or bobbin. Care is taken to achieve a smooth, regular winding from which the strands of thread, in further halldling, may be removed without difficulty in the same even ribbon form. 0n the various devices that are ordinarily used for this purpose, the simplest and most familiar are those in which the united threads are conducted together over individual rollers or a system of rollers connected in series, and the surfaces of these rollers are so constructed that the individual threads slip and slide on them and are thereby able to achieve equalized tension.

This attempted equalization of tension, however, is often attended by undesired manifestations, one of which is considerable differences in actual lengths of the individual threads wound on the Winding bobbin or spool. This difference in thread lengths, in turn, affects the quality of the products produced from them in an unfavorable manner as, for example, in twining.

In order to bring approximately equal lengths of thread onto the takeup spool, it has been proposed that a pair of pressure rollers be installed between the tensioning device and the takeup spool, which rollers would be set in motion by drawing of the thread and which would convey all threads evenly. The drawback to such an arrangement lies, however, in the the fact that this causes a generally undesirable increase in the tension of the threads; every increase in thread tension, especially if every individual thread is not equally affected, increases the danger that the individual threads will snarl over one another in the further processing or that they will snarl :on the way and tangle, so that the thread hank will thus lose its ribbon form.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus for winding a plurality of threads simultaneously on the same bobbin ,to give uniform layers Of thread in ribbon form which can be removed in subsequent operations without snarling.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus for winding a plurality of threads in ribbon form simultaneously on the same bobbin, each thread of a uniform length, to facilitate easy, simultaneous removal of the threads from said bobbin.

Another object is to provide a method and apparatus for supplying a plurality of threads having uniform lengths and substantially equal tension.

In accordance with the invention these objects are acicornplished by a method and apparatus in which the individual threads are conducted over a roller in similar, individual, circumferential thread paths while precluding slippage of the threads on the roller. One means to ice achieve this result is in compelling the threads to undergo substantially identical changes of direction of travel on the roller sufficient to increase the frictional contact enough to preclude slippage-a complete divergence from the practice heretofore. For this purpose the surface of the roller can be appropriately roughened or be provided with guides such as humps, grooves or channels, and the like which cause the individual threads to take similar tortuous paths of substantially equal length along the circumference of the roller whereby the traction between the threads and the roller, on account of the frequent changes of direction, is considerably increased. The walls of said channels thus provide means in said channel to give contact with said threads sufiicient to eliminate slippage of the thread in the channels. A roller designed in this manner becomes at the same time a conveyor roller which, without further increase of the initial middle thread tension of all the threads, yields quantities of virtually even lengths of threads and thereby contributes considerably to the achieving of an even ribbon form of the thread strands on the winding bobbin.

An illustration of a preferred embodiment of the invention is represented in the drawing wherein:

Pig. 1 is a schematic view of the thread winding system, and;

Fig. 2 is across-sectional view of the roller 6 along a diametric plane.

Referring now to the drawing, the threads 1 are drawn off from separate delivery sources, in the case of the i1- lustration rotatably mounted spools 2, having conventional adjustable braking devices 3. The threads are then conducted over rollers 4 and 5 and over the roller 6. Then they pass through a thread guide 7, which juxtapositions in flat ribbon form the individual threads and is mounted to reciprocate parallel to the axis of rotation of the take-up packaging device such as the take-up spool 8, to said spool, which is driven in any desirable manner as, for example by a roller in frictional contact therewith as illustrated in the drawing.

The roller 6, which precedes the take-up spool in the path of thread travel, is so designed that a slipping or sliding of the individual threads on the roller surface is precluded. In the embodiment illustrated in the drawing the roller surface has grooves 9, located circumferentially thereon, and defining matching, uniformly waving or zigzag paths whereby the individual threads conducted into the grooves are compelled to undergo frequent changes of direction. The roller 6 is composed of a hollow cylinder 10 on which are frictionally mounted, press-fitted rings 11 and 12. The outer rings 11 are provided with a sloping surface to urge the threads into the channels 9. The inner rings 12 have rounded or other suitable sloping surfaces for the same purpose. The frictional fitting of the rings 11 and 12 of the roller 10 permit adjustment between the distance between rings whereby the width of the grooves 9 can be suitably adjusted to a size slightly larger than the threads or yarns to be processed.

The special design of the roller 6 enables the achievement of the winding of two or more threads in a ribbon form hank, the individual threads having substantially equal tension and substantially uniform length. During the drawing off of the thread from the individual spools under equal tension facilitated by the control braking devices 3 of the delivery spools, the individual threads lie securely next to ane another in the grooves 9 of the roller 6 and are delivered by this roller to the take-up spool in equal lengths without any possibility of thread displacement. A possible alteration in tension of the individual threads, which can occur even in the moment of the strands being taken up on the spool 8 as one or another individual thread pushes itself into a gap of the preceding winding layer, has no appreciable effect on the length of thread because the tension of this thread is immediately released, and it comes out of the gap again. In this manner an even ribbon form of equal lengths of the plied threads, with even middle tension of the individual threads, is assured. These threads can later be unwound perfectly from the take-up spool.

A peculiar advantage of the proposed device lies in the fact that the individual threads can be drawn off and wound with a very slight preliminary tension. This is of primary importance with the finer and more delicate threads.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. The combination for winding together on one package in ribbon form a plurality of threads from individual thread supplies which comprises a take-up packaging device for winding a plurality of threads in the form of a package, reciprocating means adjacent said device for laying said threads at a common winding point on said package, a roller having a plurality of thread guide means defining identical undulating paths for invidual threads around the circumference of the roller to eliminate slippage of each thread relative to saidroller, said roller adapted to be rotated by the threads running over said roller to said take-up packaging device in non-slipping relationship with said roller, and means for supplying a plurality of individual threads at substantially equal tensions to said roller.

2. The combination for winding together on one package in ribbon form a plurality of threads from individual thread supplies which comprises a take-up packaging device for winding a plurality of threads in the form of a package, reciprocating means adjacent said device for laying said threads at a common winding point on said package, a roller having a plurality of thread guide channels located circumferentially thereon, each of said channels adapted to receive only one of said threads, said channels defining similar tortuous paths of widths slightly larger than the diameter of the thread adapted to be wound on said take-up packaging device for elimination of slippage of each thread relative to said roller, said roller adapted to be rotated by the threads running over said roller to said take-up packaging device in nonslipping relationship with said roller, and means for supplying a plurality of individual threads to said roller at substantially equal tensions.

3. The combination for winding together on one pack age in ribbon form a plurality of threads from individual thread supplies which'comprises a take-up packaging device for winding a plurality of threads in the form of a package, reciprocating means adjacent said device for laying said threads at a common winding point on said package, a roller having a plurality of matching wavy grooves positioned about the circumference of said roller,

7 each of said grooves adapted to receive only one of said dividual threads to said roller at substantially equal tensions.

4. The combination for winding together on one spool in ribbon form a plurality of threads from individual spools which comprises: means for supplying a plurality of individual threads; a take-up spool for winding said threads thereon; and a roller mounted in the path of travel of said thread between said supply means and take-up spool, said roller having a cylindrical body, and a plurality of annular rings having undulated side walls frictionally mounted and longitudinally adjustable on the exterior of the cylindrical body, the annular rings being spaced and defining undulated circumferential grooves, said roller being rotated by the threads running over said roller in non-slipping relationship therewith.

5. A process for winding a plurality of long, filamentary bodies in ribbon form on a thread packaging device which comprises supplying at equal tensions a plurality of said filamentary bodies to a rotatable roller, drawing said filamentary bodies in similar separate paths over said roller with each filamentary body in nonslipping relationship therewith, said roller being rotated by said filamentary bodies drawn thereover, and thereafter winding said filamentary bodies in ribbon form at a reciprocating, common Winding point on a rotating takeup package.

6. A process for winding a plurality of long, filamentary bodies in ribbon form on a thread packaging device which comprises supplying at equal tensions a plurality of said filamentary bodies to a rotatable roller, drawing said filamentary bodies over said roller in substantially parallel relation with each other in individual grooves of similar configuration and slightly larger width than the diameter of the individual filamentary bodies while providing sufficient frictional contact between said grooves and said bodies to preclude slippage of said bodies relative to said roller, said roller being rotated by said filamentary bodies drawn thereover, and thereafter winding said filamentary bodies in ribbon form at a reciprocating, common winding point on a rotating take-up package.

7. A process for winding a plurality of long, filamentary bodies in ribbon form on a thread packaging device which comprises supplying at equal tensions a plurality of said filamentary bodies to a freely rotatable roller, drawing said filamentary bodies over said freely rotatable roller in parallel, identical, separate, undulating, circumferential thread paths on said roller while precluding slippage of said bodies on said roller, and thereafter winding said filamentary bodies in ribbon form at a reciprocating, winding point on a rotating take-up package.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 375,467 Willmarth Dec. 27, 1887 1,868,667 Leidy et al. July 26, 1932 2,656,126 Kingsbury et al. Dec. 13, 1953 2,802,366 Borner Aug. 13, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 468,623 Italy Jan. 28, 1952 

